Resolutions are goals dressed up for the new year, offering up yet another chance to revise ourselves, so to speak-and make promises that many of us fail to keep for even a week. That goes for kids and adults, alike. Yes, your child probably needs to do some tweaking, too, so help each other this year. First, come up with a few realistic goals and promise to support each other. Remember: a big motivator is not wanting to disappoint someone who is counting on us.
Kids usually claim grade improvement as their number one priority, while also promising to read more books and exercise more, too. For adults, the biggie is spending more time with family and friends, followed by getting fit and losing weight. Quitting smoking usually gets fourth billing.
Unfortunately, all those good intentions go nowhere if, for instance, your child’s goal is to bring all those low grades up to straight A’s in one marking period, or you decide to lose 20 pounds by mid-January. Just not going to happen. Instead, as you both decide on a few resolutions, make sure they’re reasonable, doable, and very specific, such as your child deciding to bring his math grade up from a C to a C+ for starters. Little steps should pave the way.
Be positive, too, replacing a negative goal, such as “I won’t watch television at all during the week” with “I’ll limit my viewing to one hour on Sunday through Thursday evenings.” Meanwhile, don’t forget that resolutions are a call to action, so be certain why each goal matters to you; then believe in your ability to make the necessary changes. No wishful thinking here and certainly no excuse-making.
As Time for Kids put it, “Motivation… is influenced by three questions: Can I succeed? Do I want to succeed? Why do I want to succeed?” Answer those questions honestly and then don’t look back. Stick to your timeline and monitor each other’s progress every step of the way-posting reminder notes in hard-to-miss places and cheering each other on. And don’t beat yourselves up if you falter a bit. Remember: success is often defined as one step forward, two steps back and ensures a very happy and well-deserved new year.